A Killer Paradox (2024)

I have mixed feeling about this drama

I had higher expectations considering the cast and plot in general. But it turned out to be a bit disappointing. At first, series seemed to go slow and to be honest I did not mind that at all. But suddenly in the middle of the episodes, it rushed so bad I could barely keep up with.
Woo Shik did an amazing job playing Lee Tang. He portrayed the character so well. Emotions and actions were on spot. But I don't think that character was written that well. He killed people by accident, he was feeling guilty and mortified. But then we discover that he actually has some kind of power!? We never got hints about that in the beginning as it all seemed accidents. I'm still confused about that; was it actually because of the power or was Lee Tang just lucky that happen to have a gut feeling?

Roh Bin's character did not make much sense neither. How did he find Lee Tang, why was he so ambitious and confident and why he never got caught especially when Nam Gam and the police kind of knew about his past with Song Chon. He mentioned having 2 other partners, one Song Chon but we know nothing about second person. His explanation why he had bad blood with Song Chon did not add up. Roh Bin having everything planned was unexpected and that was the only moment I was surprised. I do understand him taking all the blame tho.

Second part seemed a whole different drama and it focused more on Song Chan. I couldn't understand his character. He came back to check whether Lee Tang was just like him or not. And why was there even possibility of these murders having something in common? It was a gut feeling for everyone including Roh Bin, Song Chan and Nam Gam. There was no evidence nor any other connection. Song Chan's past made me feel empathy towards him but I'm not sure that was necessary.

Nam Gam was pretty messed up. He wanted to catch a culprit, then decided to avenge his dad who turned out to be a bad person. I understand why he stayed silent about Lee Tang tho. He did not mind about legal consequences because he knew his dad had sinned and from his point of view, everyone deserved a chance including himself, Lee Tang and a dog.

I think, it will have a second season as there are so many unanswered questions. And the ending was open. I finished the drama because of the actors and cinematography, otherwise I would have dropped it.

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"Yielding conquers, resisting strengthens desire"

This is what happens in this "A killer paradox". It starts of well from episode 1 but when the 1st is going to end you will see some unnecessary transitions something weird one too(actually it is not necessary but i think it was hero hallucinations are shown) how does he feel after murdering someone and how he got superpowers when he sees someone(means serial killers like series called "He is psychometric" ) the feel will come for us then he got to know that he killed a man who used to be serial killer so now he joins hands with the specs guy and they accomplish the justice for victims . I love the concept of it, it was from webtoon so, i did not study it but i feel like it is too slow pace which will make either sleep or you will feel like fast forwarding the scenes itself. There is no AAH moment in this series, so don't except much from this! Again one more serial killer unlike hero will be introduced, and he also started searching hero and finish him off. After few episodes you will be wondering what is happening in this series? And i love every actors performance even the police guy with beard did his job well but he was fore shaded by the plot. At the end of the day, our hero saw 'how to get away with murder" and committed his crimes without evidence, he is the most luckiest serial killer in the whole world.

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Satisfied on a rewatch

To preface this, I knew going into this my expectations would be way too high. I'm a big fan of Choi Wooshik and have been waiting for this show to come out for like two years. I also spent coins to read the webtoon in its entirety when it was finally released in English.

I'll start off with I did enjoy this. And I enjoyed reading the webcomic too.

Edit: im currently rewatching this with someone who didnt read the webcomic and having a pretty good time. I think i judged this harsher than it needed to be. I guess im a hater? Its a pretty fun drama. I liked it the first time I watched it and im liking it even more the second time ^_^

WEBTOON AND ADAPTATION
The part about the story that is both interesting and frustrating is the way it tells itself. Our protagonist isn't really our protagonist. We don't know much about him (who he is as a person, yes we know he's a student and aimless but...) and we don't have a lot of opportunities to connect to him. It's more like the circumstances around him are what make him the protagonist. Instead, our cop ends up being the real protagonist, having a story arch that follows his relationship with his father. Yet... in some ways he feels like he falls short of that role as well. Writing characters in this way is unique and that in itself is interesting.

The show was an overall pretty faithful adaptation of the webcomic. There were some small details that felt important to me that weren't included. For example, I remember that when Lee Tang first encounters Song Chon, eventually Lee Tang tells Ro Bin that he had some sort of instinct that he had to stay away from Song Chon, like he was being hunted. I understand that was told visually in the adaptation, but I was waiting for that line so I was a bit disappointed. Also, the scene where the girl is being felt up in the train, Lee Tang, if I remember correctly, gets mad at the guy. What I though was interesting about how the scene was originally written had more to do with what it revealed about society and how it treated injustice. It was a small detail, but the way they framed the scene changed its impact on the narrative.

[update they rereleased the episodes of the webtoon and my question was answered so i deleted this section of the review]

Something I was hoping would be changed in the adaptation was the portrayal of Ro Bin and Lee Tang. In the webtoon, I remember wishing they were more dynamic characters. Like, if they could have had some more likeable traits to them, or could have been written in a way that made the ending more impactful feeling around these two characters. Ro Bin didn't really change much, but I did end up feeling satisfied. Lee Tang I kinda wanted to see more sides to him though. He's a character that anyone could have played, being super stoic and flat, which ended up feeling kind of disappointing. But he was like that in the webtoon and I can't blame the scriptwriter for preferring to be faithful than risking anything else.

THE ADAPTATION ALONE
I felt like peoples reactions to being murdered were handled in a weird way? I'm not sure if that was a casting problem or a director problem. This probably stands out most in the death of Nan Gam's father. The script literally describes the ways his fathers face changes, but we don't see that reflected on screen. I'm not sure why this was a consistent problem. I felt the reactions were lacking for him, Gyeong-a (Lee Tang's coworker, I might be misremembering her name), and also in the "murderous expression" from Song Chon when he first kills Nan Gam's father.

One thing that stood out to me though was the amount of respect that was visible on screen and in the script. The writing did its best to respect the original story. And the cinematography, parts of the soundtrack, and especially one fight scene stood out as respecting forefathers in the action genre. In particular, Old Boy stood out to me. Song Chon's scene fighting the gangsters, I think you would have to be blind to miss that longshot fight scene. The use of the oboe in the soundtrack... reminds me of something but I can't put my finger on it. An ode to something, but idk what. Someone help me out, what is this reminding me of?

But the soundtrack was somewhat hit or miss for me. I was surprised by that. Sometimes it felt really good (especially in the first half of the series) and then other times I was like, "Ah this sounds like a pretty typical soundtrack piece," which was weird to pair with a story like this... again its a very atypically written story so I expected the soundtrack to feel a little off-kilter overall. Not overly done obviously, as the writing is more like an unnerving pull away from the mainstream instead of something that's off-the-walls-crazy, but still... just something that feels "uncomfortably different from what you're used to" should have been the overall feeling of the soundtrack imho.

Whoever was the editor was having a lot of fun! I loved the way they played with sound, how the soundtrack would suddenly cut-off, how the introduction scene of Nan Gam made his chewing gum sound uncomfortably loud for the first few chews... yeah if anything their sound design and the way soundtracks were edited to build and break tension in a scene was good. Good job editor! Also loved the way they visually transitioned between shots. First episode is a great example of this.

I liked the fun zoom ins, I think it added some character to the camera. The character of the camera could have benefited from being visually messier throughtout the series. It does have its shaky camera, and at least one extreme close up but I wanted more. Thats probably more of a personal preference though. [Edited out some comments after a rewatch]

I LOVED however, the way they played with darkness and shadow. Sometimes it felt like it wasn't in good taste, especially when the cinematography was over-saturated as if in post-production they might have realized they made a mistake. (Watching on a different screen has different results for this though) HOWEVER... omg when Lee Tang is just outside the car, lurking in the shadows... in the warehouse when the lights go on and off... the sudden flash of the taser in the car... a few of those scenes really stood out as good use of lighting.

I thought the leads of the show did a pretty good job in acting. They were both bad at fake yawning haha, but the elements of their acting that were important to their characters were well done. I did feel a bit disappointed in Lee Tang as a character, because he is pretty flat. As I said before, he feels like someone anyone could play because he's so stoic like most Kdrama leads played by idol actors. Choi Wooshik is most interesting in characters that have a wider range of emotions because I find him expressive and charismatic. Still, I do think he played Lee Tang well. He did a good job of portraying the subtle changes in Lee Tang and immersing us in the crumbling life of this character. I was kind of hoping that when Nan Gang finally saw Lee Tang in the warehouse, that for a split second they would show Lee Tang in that convenience store uniform because it is SUCH a striking change in character. The way he has changed his aesthetic into that greasy hair, the weight in his expression, how he carries himself, that split-second emphasis through Nan Gang's perspective would have been interesting. It also allows us to feel a connection between the two characters who know each other. I could go on but this is already too long haha. Nan Gang's actor was also pretty good and I came to respect him for this role.

Beware: harsher than necessary point ahead: I may be wrong but it felt like there was a lot of trust in the team. Like maybe things weren't tested or things weren't critiqued that could have been. I respect a team that trusts itself, but I respect more a team that builds that trust through communicating. I first felt like the show lacked communication when I saw the poster. It felt like someone had to pull together shots into something instead of being able to get the team to work together to make a solid poster. There's a few minor details in the acting, that felt like the crew wasn't communicating when a scene was lacking in some way. Like there was a trust in the overall ability of the show and not enough interest in the details that made the show. This is more of a judgement on my end and obviously I wasn't on set so don't take this part of my critique to heart if you disagree.

FINAL THOUGHTS
So yeah I had a good time watching this. I think I'd like to rewatch this in a few years when I've forgotten some details of the show and webtoon.

I couldn't help but criticize the show just because I'd been waiting for it for so long, but I did enjoy it haha. I think I was afraid of it being terrible so I looked for all its faults. Now that ive done that its easier to actually enjoy it in my rewatch. Again, I like it the first time I watched it and Im liking it even more the second time. It really is creatively made and you can see all the hard work that went into it.

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Not predictable but not exceptional - trigger warnings discussed

I enjoyed the series considering a lot of people didn't. Most didn't seem to like the directing style which didn't bother me. The show wasn't boring at any point but the focus of the show seemed to shift drastically towards the middle with the male lead being sidelined. The other characters are also interesting but it felt odd by the end. The story direction took away the impact of their lead.

The other thing that bothered me is there is a blaring female full frontal nude scene disguised as a sex scene. Meanwhile the male is cleverly hidden and wearing full clothes. It felt like a cheap attempt at gaining viewership. Such a Netflix thing. There aren't any strong female characters in the series unfortunately or at least not for very long. Mostly the women are side characters. The show does deal with sexual assault but despite being a show surrounding justice, the audience isn't given much time to empathize with the victims. They are almost secondary to the plot. The story just skips over quickly to the next case. It feels like the production didn't care too much about those victims. The focus was mainly on the men and their way of handling situation.

Another trigger warning for those sensitive to such topics - suicide and attempted suicide has been depicted. Sadly I can't really applaud them for the way it has been presented as it doesn't really deep dive into the emotions of the characters. Everything is shown in bites and then the story moves on.

The gore is just bearable, I'd say. They somewhat toned down the brutality of the murders by slowing scenes down or cutting to a different moment in time, imposing other shots in between to take you away from the moment of horror. The story also showed less and less on how murders impacted the male lead and his psyche. There was a drastic shift from his world view to story of the other characters.

I binged the series in about a day. It's got a decent pace for the most part. But if you enjoy thrillers or plots revolving around killers, vigilantes, and justice, etc, then this show is one of the weakest since it leaves you longing for something more. Nothing exceptional has been presented here. However, if you do watch, you certainly won't be bored.

Nothing really stood out from the OST for me.

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Skip the first 2 episodes out of 8 for a good time?

Another netflix drama that topped the charts with an incredibly boring first few episodes.

what makes this even worse is that this only has 8 episodes.

How do you actually review a drama that bores you to death the first 2 episodes and only gets good after a third of a show?

Always remember with netflix shows that netflix and chill is a very real thing, as people get so bored with the show they're watching that they do something else while the show is running. Netflix collects this data and thinks that people are watching the show when clearly, they're already busy making the next generation of humans or have left to do something else.

It's disappointing that korean dramas, especially those that are adapted from the best korean webcomics are portrayed with so many pacing issues, when in actual fact, the manhwa hits hard with every chapter or else they'd fall off the list.

Even more disappointing, is that this show is marked as a comedy, when the comedy is the misunderstandings that aren't really funny.

If you're looking to a show that's actually much better but very similar, perhaps A Psychopath's Diary is a much better watch ( https://mydramalist.com/37255-psychopath-diary )

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Justice at a Crossroads, Morality in the Balance

"A Killer Paradox" throws viewers into a world where chance encounters and fateful decisions lead down a perilous path of vigilante justice. Lee Tang, a down-on-his-luck college student, stumbles upon a mysterious artifact that grants him glimpses into alternate timelines. Driven by a thirst for justice and fueled by personal grievances, he manipulates these glimpses to expose the corrupt and powerful. But as lines blur and consequences mount, Tang grapples with the weight of his actions and the unintended ripple effects his interventions create.

◆ Plot: A Web of Choices and Consequences: The narrative unfolds like an intricate puzzle, each decision Tang makes sending him down a different path with unforeseen outcomes. The absence of time travel eliminates the potential for repetitive loops and instead emphasizes the butterfly effect of his choices. This creates a constant sense of tension and uncertainty, keeping viewers guessing how each manipulation will play out. However, at times the complexity can be overwhelming, and the cause-and-effect relationships between Tang's actions and the resulting consequences aren't always fully explored.

◆ Characters: Morality in the Face of Fate: Lee Tang emerges as a flawed and complex protagonist. Choi Woo-shik delivers a captivating performance, showcasing Tang's internal struggle as he navigates the murky waters of vigilantism. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, each with its motivations and secrets that intertwine with Tang's journey. The enigmatic detective, the cunning villain, and even Tang's unwitting accomplices create a tapestry of characters that drive the narrative forward.

◆ Acting: Bringing the Paradox to Life: The talented cast breathes life into their characters. Choi Woo-shik masterfully portrays Tang's transformation from a disillusioned student to a determined vigilante, grappling with the weight of his choices. The supporting actors deliver equally compelling performances, adding depth and nuance to the narrative.

◆ Critical Analysis: Beyond Black and White Justice: "A Killer Paradox" transcends the typical vigilante narrative by delving into the complexities of morality and fate. The absence of time travel forces the story to confront the irreversible nature of consequences, challenging viewers to consider the ethical implications of Tang's actions. While the show doesn't shy away from portraying the emotional toll and potential dangers of vigilantism, it also raises questions about the limitations of the justice system and the societal forces that drive individuals to take matters into their own hands.

◆ In Conclusion: "A Killer Paradox" is a thought-provoking and suspenseful drama that challenges viewers to confront the complexities of fate, justice, and the consequences of our choices. While the absence might shift the focus, the show's strong performances, intricate plot, and exploration of moral dilemmas make it a rewarding watch for those seeking more than just a typical vigilante story.

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A story about a loser becoming a killer

"Premise starts off strong. I know people say ep 1 is boring in the beginning but that's just to set the scene of who Tang I, what kind of person he is, so that we can understand the decisions he took to become who he is now. I'd say the first 3-4 episodes were really strong cause you see Tang still battling with himself after every murder, his headspace completely fucked, first with guilt, later with fear of getting caught. Like all thriller dramas, I'd say ep 5-7 were the weakest in terms of keeping my attention. I did enjoy seeing Tang becoming a much more cold hearted person, less cowardly, but nonetheless it did bore me a little. Last episode came back strong especially the ending.

Loved the ending. Cause in this drama there's no rooting for Tang. Sure maybe the first murder which was accidental and in self defense, you might hope that Tang escapes, but after that.....you slowly see him for what he is, a psychopath. Yeah sure the show potrays him having this "power" where he gets goosebumps when he sees a bad person and decides to kill them. However go about it chronologically and you'll realise how psychopathic it is. Tang meets someone by accident, gets goosebumps for no fucking reason, takes it as a sign to murder them which he does, and by a stroke of luck said person was also evil in their own right. Tang was never well in his head and the ending where he comes back and does the same thing again when he realised that he'd been clear of any murder charges just goes to show how he has no remorse for his actions. He found his purpose in life and that is to kill. He's just lucky that everyone he killed was evil and he always got away with it. It's why we see Tang getting goosebumps when he sees himself in the mirror. His own "powers" are telling him that HE deserves to get killed.

I do wonder what would have happened had Tang killed someone who was completely innocent based on a broken radar like Song Chon did. Would it have broken Tang or would Tang have deluded himself into thinking he did right?" (Taken from a comment I made for discussion purposes)

I'm terms of acting, was NOT disappointed. We're talking about some of the best actors in the K industry of course the acting was TOP NOTCH. A lot of the show is carried by the actors themselves, not necessarily the plot cause the general plotline is not that complex when you think about it. But this is the same for the director's other famous work, stranger from hell. A straightforward plot that was carried by insanely good acting to the point where it made people uncomfortable enough to not watch the drama when it first aired on TV (yes this was a real thing which is why ratings were a bit low at that time)

Cinematography, loved it. At first I was super confused with he perspective changes, from going into Tang's mind Vs reality but once I got used to differentiating what's real and what's fake I was able to appreciate it more. When you think about it, the reason why Tang became a serial killer likely had to do with the fact that he couldn't really differentiate reality from his delusions or god complex...

Anyways enough ranting but I'd say it's a good watch and I enjoyed it. Fell a little below my expectations cause I thought it'd be tiki taka so a back and forth of Tang outsmarting Nangam but Tang survived our of pure dumb luck but the story was still intriguing.

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A hero sent from heaven or an unpunished sinner

Another series that comes to ask big, complex questions about justice and morality, thrusting us into a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred. Mostly leaning towards the drama of The Vigilante 2023, but here the way they've gone about it is interesting and innovative with some tropes being used to dig deep into them with unremarkable black comedy.
What I liked is that the main hero is not the center of the story, but rather it was written as a transition between several main characters in a vicious pursuit, and we can understand the reason for this in the end as their points of view change.
Therefore, this show, with its dark atmosphere, its dark moral structure, and the disturbing ending that does not give you a clear answer, came only to show you the characters with all their flaws and allow you to watch them exist in that shadow reflected from their consequences, circumstances, or their own imaginary ideas.

However, unfortunately...
After setting up an interesting premise, the show fails to delve into the depth of the story, and quickly falls into a state of extremely slow burn. Especially since I was expecting another dark psychological crime drama from director Lee Chang Hee after his long absence since (Strangers from Hell 2019), but I did not understand where the flaw was here: Is it in the scenario or in the plot?
It is true that it makes this new drama, A Killer Paradox, different from other works in KDrama and distinguished by its directing style, and it is no wonder that this series is good in this aspect. Rather, this series should be among the best directed this season, especially with the consistency of the musical background to highlight the comedic tone. Dark and give life to the display.

⚒️? However, somehow it slowly lost its charm as we approached the end. The first four episodes are good on all levels and in all aspects. After that, the story continues with all kinds of deception and unnecessary twists, and sometimes the rhythm of the episodes as well as the development of the story is disjointed, chaotic, and slow until the end of the episode. The eighth (last) one I already knew where it was going (away from the detective story) and it wasn't surprising that it turned out that way.

♻️ In general...
It is not what you would expect from a suspense series about a serial killer or a hero with superpowers who targets bad guys, as indicated in the summary of his story. It is just a crime, investigation and chase series with a story with a dark atmosphere and revenge quests, far from being a fictional story. It has a chaotic plot, is relatively slow and boring.
In general, it could have been produced as a long, dark film, omitting the plot of the murderous detective because it is sideways and was only used to add more tension and events to the scenario. I personally did not like adding that character, but I understand that he had to be there to make the story more clear. However, the ending caught the eye. My attention to his past.

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Nothing to write home about

This drama had the beginnings of an interesting premise, but nothing much was done with it. There were too many different story threads, and so no one storyline was developed enough to be satisfying. Vigilante dramas are nothing new these days, and I don't think this one did enough to stand out.

Acting was generally okay, with Kim Hee Jun being far and away the best and most engaging performer of the cast.

Production-wise, there was some effort to create some interesting and quirky cinematography, but it didn't go far enough. It would have been better if the show could have sustained a unique visual style throughout rather than just in one off moments.

Overall, this is quite an entertaining watch if you have nothing to do over the weekend. But I don't think anything from this drama is going to stay with me for long.

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